HISTORICAL REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANS FOR NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS

The 2030 Regional Transportation Plan for Northeastern Illinois, adopted in October 2003 and subsequently updated, was the last in a series of regional transportation plans developed by the Chicago Area Transportation Study.  CATS published seven long-range plans from its inception in 1955 until it was superseded by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning in 2006.  Archive copies of previous transportation plans and several updates may viewed below.* 

 Chicago Area Transportation Study, Volume 3 (pdf, 24 megs) 

This plan, with a horizon year of 1980, was adopted in 1962.  The study area primarily covered Cook and DuPage Counties.  Volumes I and II included pioneering technical analysis in urban transportation. 

 Regional Transportation Interim Plan and Program (1971) (pdf,  7 megs)

This plan expanded the study area to six counties in northeastern Illinois and two counties in northwestern Indiana.  Aviation and freight planning were included as components of the plan.

1995 Transportation System Plan (1974) (pdf, 4 megs)

This plan was adopted by CATS and the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) as their respective regional transportation plans.  This plan was the first adopted in the context of federal requirements based on the original CATS model for metropolitan transportation planning.

This plan was the first adopted as an update to a previously adopted long-range plan, now a standard practice.

This plan put increasing emphasis on financial capacity and public involvement in the planning process. 

Year 2000 Transportation System Development Plan (1981 Update) (pdf, 1 meg) 

The focus of this update, composed of supplementary material, was to demonstrate the need for additional financial resources for transportation in an era of cutbacks.

Year 2000 Transportation System Development Plan (1984 Update) (pdf, 7 megs) 

This plan was a reprint of the plan adopted in 1980, but incorporating updates adopted in 1981 and 1983.

2010 Transportation System Development Plan for Northeastern Illinois (1990)   (pdf, 5 megs) 

This plan continued to reflect limited financial resources for meeting future transportation needs, but also some progress on major project recommendations.  The plan included several "Corridors of the Future." 

2020 Regional Transportation Plan (1997)   (pdf, 10 megs) 

This plan reflected increased emphases on public involvement, fiscal constraint, and environmental concerns.   The plan included several "Corridors for Further Study."

2020 Regional Transportation Plan (2000 Update) (pdf, 11 megs) 

This update maintained the direction of the original 2020 RTP, and complied with federal regulations then in place requiring an update every three years.

Regional Transportation Plan Links

2030 Regional Transportation Plan and Maps

Tell Me About Transportation Planning

How Do I Participate

2030 Planning Process Documentation

Historical Documents 

Transportation Project and Proposal Links

Shared Path 2030 Outreach Materials and Processes

Shared Path 2030 is the process for developing and updating the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) for northeastern Illinois. This plan will guide long-term transportation decisions and investments in the years to come. Past regional transportation plans have laid the groundwork for major transportation system improvements such as the CTA Orange Line to Midway Airport and the Elgin/O'Hare Expressway.

The 2030 RTP includes strategies, systems, and projects to enhance the accessibility of northeastern Illinois communities and improve the mobility of people and goods in our region.  Key strategies of the Regional Transportation Plan include an emphasis on improving our communities by assuring that they are walkable and bikeable; improving commercial goods movement through such programs as CREATE; reducing vehicle delay through the application of technology; more efficient roadway designs; and the adoption of value pricing strategies to encourage efficient use of the system (e.g., discounts for Chicago Card and I-Pass users as well as congestion pricing).

The 2030 RTP, originally adopted in 2003, includes such projects as Metra's extensions to Manhattan and Elburn, the Dan Ryan Expressway and Kingery Expressway Reconstruction projects, the Illinois Tollway's I-355 Extension and extensive widening projects, and the CTA Brown Line capacity expansion.   

The CMAP Board and the MPO Policy Committee approved the update of the capital element of the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan in October, 2006.  To comply with federal regulatory requirements, our Regional Transportation Plan needed to be updated again in June, 2007.  The scope of this update was focused on new requirements under SAFETEA-LU, the federal law authorizing federally-funded metropolitan transportation system planning and projects.

In adopting the 2006 update to the 2030 RTP, the MPO Policy Committee called for additional funding for our transportation system.  New funding will be required to provide the mobility and accessibility necessary for our metropolis to prosper.  Projects included in the 2030 RTP for which new funding might be required include the CTA Circle Line, the Prairie Parkway, Metra's STAR line and Southeast Service, and travel improvements in the Cook-DuPage Corridor.

The money spent to develop this transportation system comes from tax dollars, tolls, fares, and other user fees.  It is your transportation system.  We encourage you to become involved in the long-range planning for it.